How To Test-Drive Your Timeline: Practical NLP Podcast 76

Having elicited the timeline in the previous episode, this week we take it for a ‘test drive’.

In this week’s episode:

Two ways people may experience their timeline – as moving or static

Step by step instructions for how to guide people through this exercise (also see the show notes below)

Why this also works as an instant relaxation and clarity exercise

… and much more!

If you’re doing any kind of timeline emotional clearing (e.g. Time Line Therapy) that involves the client ‘floating’ above their timeline, this exercise is very helpful in flushing out any little ‘blocks’ that might get in the way.

The two most common are “I can’t float up above my timeline”, which I have found is usually caused by the client viewing time something that moves past them while they stay still (like a river, or traffic on a road) rather than something still that they move along, like a canal or the road itself. The process outlined here preframes this ‘objection’ out by suggesting they can float above the timeline, or they may prefer to stay still while the timeline sinks away below them. The end result – gaining vertical distance from the timeline – is the same.

The other commonly heard ‘block’ becomes apparent when you ask the client to float back a short way towards the direction of the past, and they find that they can’t float in that direction. You can usually help them get over this (literally) by asking them to float up as high as they need to until they can float in that direction – the implication being that they are rising above the metaphorical block. As many emotional clearing processes involve floating back towards the past above the timeline, it is best to find out if there is any problem floating back during the preliminary ‘test drive’, rather than waiting until you’re conducting the actual intervention.

Here’s the wording that I use for ‘test driving’ the timeline. In the second paragraph of step 1, for precision I am assuming the listener is familiar with the NLP meaning of ‘associated’ – if your client isn’t familiar with NLP (as most real-world clients won’t be) I would say something like “It’s important that you’re looking down on the timeline through your own eyes”. The ‘induction’ is in italics, explanatory asides (in step 6) are in normal text :

Close your eyes and float up above the timeline to a height at which you are completely comfortable. Or, you may want to stay where you are and let the timeline sink away below you – in either case, just get some vertical distance between yourself and the timeline. It’s important that you’re associated into floating above the timeline rather than watching yourself. Now float up even higher – way up high – and notice what happens as you do.

Now turn towards the past, staying at the same comfortable hight, and float a short distance in that direction.

Now float a similar short distance towards the direction of the future.

And come back to above now and practice floating up a little and down a little and notice what happens as you do. Notice the difference between this experience and your normal everyday experience as you went about your life down at timeline level.

And now bring back everything you liked about that sensation as you come back down to now, back into the room, and when your unconscious mind is ready to move on to the next stage you can open your eyes.

And “Welcome back” (which of course presupposes that you’ve been somewhere). What was that like – in particular, how did it compare with normal everyday experience? Most people will say they felt “calm” or “detached” – this is what we are looking for.

How to listen to Practical NLP Podcast Episode 76: How To Test-Drive Your Timeline

Or, simply listen online using the player embedded in this post, or download the episode.

Duration: 07m 56s

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If you’re currently studying or on a training course, this guided visualization MP3 is for you!

Originally developed as part of the forthcoming NLP Practitioner home study pack, it’s designed to help you review and integrate everything you’ve learned on any course or training that you’re undertaking.

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